Db Bistro Moderne

Take this review with a grain of salt because I made the mistake of coming here for restaurant week. We had 1:30 reservations but still had to wait... more

the short rib/foie gras burger is decadent but tasty. watch out though - may cross over into feeling overly... more

the short rib/foie gras burger is decadent but tasty. watch out though - may cross over into feeling overly greasy if you're not careful! i would... more

the short rib/foie gras burger is decadent but tasty. watch out though - may cross over into feeling overly greasy if you're not careful! i would... more

I've dined at DB's for lunch and dinner numerous times and am never left disappointed. It is conveniently located between Grand Central and Times Square, though slightly closer to the latter. The decor is modern with clean and classic lines. The service is attentive, but will admit the aura is a bit on the snobby side. The lunch crowd is usually finance types and clients, which continues into dinner of corporate folks mixed in with some theater goers. The food is always well made, never too complex, but always with a tasty twist. The duck is superb and chocolate desserts are delectable. more

So I know everyone is raving about the burger but I just couldn't do it to myself, that wk was BEA wk which meant a dinner every night so I had to take it easy but any other time I would def try it. The place was not big at all and I did not realize that it was attached to a hotel but that didn't take away from the scene and note that it can get loud. So of course I started w/ the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare (celery Coulis, Fennel, Mango, Curry Dressing) - amazing, I was a little apprehensive w/ the curry but it worked and I practically licked my plate. My friend ordered the Maine Lobster Salad (Mesclun, Hearts of Palm, Artichokes, Pesto Dressing) - delicious, just the right amount of lobster but I'm greedy and could've ate more. For entre I decided on the Ramps Ravioloe (Morels, Asparagus, Fava Beans, Brown Butter) - my mouth is watering thinking about it, just great, not too heavy. I also ordered the Pommes Dauphines on the side which were tasty, yes I know, I already had enough carbs, why order more. \r \r So aside from the yummy food, the staff was very friendly as well. the sommelier really knew what he was talking about and my friend who is an aficionado of wine himself ended up chatting up for a good 20 mins at the end of the meal. It was nice when you come across a sommelier who is passionate about what he does and doesn't turn his nose up to you when he's talking about it. I'm coming back to try the burger...or maybe to get the pasta again...\r Pros: food, service Cons: can get very loud more

Lovely place, would recommend getting the burger that everyone talks about. Its an experience more

Lovely place, would recommend getting the burger that everyone talks about. Its an experience more

Lovely place, would recommend getting the burger that everyone talks about. Its an experience more

Came here for dinner last week. Got there at 730 and the place was packed. Apparently they do a big pre theatre crowd. I was expecting it to empty out at 8, which it did, only to be surprised when it was full again by 830. There was a great energy throughout the meal. Everyone talks about that burger $32 complete with foie gras and truffle. It was great, as I hoped, but the rest of the menu was also great. A tarte flambee, tuna tartare and spearfish rounded out an all around great meal. Nice wine list with fair prices, and a fun, engaging young staff. I will definitely be back. more

Excellent all the way around with perfect service, exemplary menu and the best burger in all of NYC. more

My friend and I went to lunch the other day, totally forgetting that it was restaurant week. So we were actually pleasantly surprised to have the option to take advantage of the $24.07 menu. And the choices were really excellent. I've been to places for restaurant week in the past, and sometimes they really dumb down the menu, offering menu items that obviously take very little money, time, effort, and care. But at DB Bistro, they really didn't do that at all. I had salmon tartare that was very fresh and tasty, and my friend had the yellow split pea soup which was a fun change from green and was very smooth and creamy. I also had gnocchi with a mushroom sauce that was kind of rich and filling, but really delicious. My friend had the beef dish (I don't remember the french name it was called), but it had lots of nice vegetables, and they even came to the table with a kettle-type thing to pour the broth on top. (Very cute.) The desserts were really excellent too. There was a chocolate hazelnut mousse, a combination I love and I was not disappointed. It was light and rich at the same time. And then a cherry cheescake with a sorbet on top (I think it was cherry too) which was so fresh and fruity. I just think that the food they offered really did seem worth more than the $24. My service was perfectly fine too. They were obviously very busy, but I always had everything I needed and I didn't have to wait a long time for anything. Like I said before, I hadn't realized it was restaurant week, but I didn't feel hurried or rushed out, and everyone was very friendly and gracious. It just felt like a busy restaurant. I had meant to come and try the burger, but I guess I'll just have to come back another time. I would definately recommend the restaurant to other people whether it was restaurant week or not. If they can deal with the craziness of restaurant week so well, I'm sure that when it's not, everything is even better. Pros: food, value Cons: a little noisy, but it was very busy more

Came here for lunch for restaurant week. Granted, I've yet to have a great experience with the ""budget"" dishes offered for restaurant week, but I really thought that DB's name would assure at least a certain level of quality. The food was utterly mediocre, but more annoyingly, the service was not just inattentive, but borderline hostile. This was the first time I've ever left a paltry tip at a nice restaurant -- for the worst service I've ever received at one.\r \r Perhaps they weren't as concerned with us since they didn't stand to make much money off of us, but the point of restaurant week is that people get to try your restaurant and hopefully like it enough to come back. \r \r If you're thinking of going here, save your money and go to the plethora of good restaurants where the staff doesn't make you feel like they're doing you a favor by taking your moeny. Pros: location, if you're in midtown Cons: AWFUL service/attitude more

A few friends and I went to db Bistro to for New Year's Eve and we had the worst dinning experience in our lives. Like most restaurant, the restaurant served a prix fix menu (6 course). We arrived and seated at 9pm, and didn't receive our 4th course until 11:40pm. That is almost an incredible 50 minutes wait in-between meals. Please keep in that the first two courses were simple appetizers, food that was prepared well ahead of time. After hunting down the restaurant manager we finally got our 4th course of the night. We inquired about the ridiculous delay. The manager/waiter gave us an excuse that the kitchen was overwhelmed by the huge amount of people for the evening. To me, this excuse only proof three things: 1) the restaurant is usually empty so they would never had to deal with a full restaurant on a regular basis or 2) the kitchen and staff is totally unprepared for the night or 3) our waiter just don't know that he was doing and don't give a dame about bringing out our food at all. After our compliant, the fish course came out within 2 minutes. This was extremely odd. If the wait time is 2 minutes, why wasn?t it bought out to us before? And then we realize our fish course was prepared completely differently. All the other table?s fish were prepared in a nicely wrap plastic bag to seal the steam in. It was then cut in front of them so the dish was served hot. For us, they service right on the dish and it taste like it was microwave (not kidding). Also, the entree was either ""venison"" or sirloin, and of course we were not asked how the meat should be cooked to our liking. And of course the meat came out extremely rare and not to my liking. I ended up barely touching it. To top off the wonderful night, the bus boy spilled a whole tray of drinks on my husband's jacket, with no apology. The above food and service cost us $250 per person. At that price, the food and service, the overall experience was ridiculously disappointing. more

Just returned from a prix fixe restaurant week lunch at db. Sometimes I dislike going to places like this during restaurant week because as soon as you order the prix fixe they start treating you like a second-class citizen. To the contrary, my server here was exceedingly pleasant and polite, as was every waitstaff person who came by to check on me or deliver or remove a plate. The food was not heart-stopping, but it was very, very good, especially for this touristy part of town, where I am forever trying to find a nice lunch spot to visit with familly or friends during my workday. A tip: Though it gets crowded, they will seat you in the bar area without a reservation if your party is small (one or two), and give you the exact same menu as in the main dining areas. more

Went there early dinner. Got seated near the kitchen, cramped as soon as the place filled up.Heard the cook screaming...The standard bistro fare was well executed, Great burger with cute condiments display. Still, the place is overpriced and I won't go back. Pros: Nice Rooms, Decor. more

The food is great especially the seafood. Although our server disappeared from the beginning but the manager made it up, he was very sincere and provided good recommendation. We will go back again! Pros: Food more

I went to DB when it first opened a few years ago and had a wonderful experience. I made the mistake of returning only to find that it has morphed into a bigger Times Square Tourist Trap than Planet Hollywood. The food was truly awful and the service complacent (including the waiter that spilled a tray of water on me and refused to apologize b/c it was water.) There are so many wonderful bistros in this city, please do not waste the money or a night out on this one. Pros: attractive decor Cons: terrible food, bad service, high prices more

friend took me here for my birthday after a show and everything was near perfect. burger was what they said it would be. the waitstaff were polite and knowledgeable. definitely professionals. the sommelier picked the right wine for the night. limited scotch list though but i guess it makes sense since they don't technically have a bar. I found the decor very relaxing and proportional; it didn't detract from the food. they were very patient with us as we were the last ones in the restaurant, literally closing it down. by then, we were lit to high heavens. i'd go back for the burgers. Pros: Service, Food, Ambience Cons: Worth the expense more

We felt like sardines crammed into this pourly laid out restaurant (and unwelcome due to the obnoxious host). The food was average, which made the ridculously high prices almost laughable. The salads were standard lettuce and dressing fare, the meat was undercooked and tastless. Our waitress was nice, although she almost seemed embarassed to be working at such a pretentious establishment. And the fact that you had to leave the resturant to go to the bathroom, then wait on line for five minutes, only added to the ridiculousness... Oh, but on a brighter note, when the waiter poured water into my vodka glass by mistake, we got a free drink out of it. Don't let the famous name trick you into thinking that you're going to get a great meal... more